What spells do you not allow?

[WayneLigon]

The only spell I've ever banned (and that includes the 3.0 version of Haste) is the Arcana Unearthed spell Muddy Ground. The saving throw against it is a Balance check, which for 99.99% of all monsters that don't fly or teleport means a straight Dex check.

 

[Ry]

You let your players cast spells? You guys go too easy on them.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I'd use CR. Say, Caster level-2.

I've changed all references in polymorph from HD to ECL. I've been working on a good way to to determine the LA of creatures with none listed in a quick fashion so as not to slow down game play.

Otherwise, I don't ban anything. I just make it well known that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Use wraithstrike to make mincemeat of the dracolich? A certain nasty worm-god has the very same spell, hmmm....

 

[Gold Roger]

As a DM, I use little in the way of Save-or-Die and if one of my players wanted to use a direct save or die spell, I'd propably talk to him about the effect using such spells prominently has on the game.

Almost everything in the way of advancement (spells, feats, new class features) has to be aquired in-game and for some spells that means they might be hard to get.

But I don't ban any spells outright.

 

[Psion]

3) If I ever got high enough level I might worry about Mordenkainen's Disjunction. And I would have to take a look at Polymorph (I am moving towards a list of critters that you could turn into, along the lines of Summon Monster X).

I've never personally had a problem with Polymorph.

However, I could forsee it happening.

Rich Burlew put together a pretty compelling set of alternatives to the polymorph spells:
http://www.giantitp.com/Func0012.html

 

[dungeon blaster]

Fortunately, none of my PCs are playing druids

If a druid does appear in the game, we will use the PHBII alternate wildshape rules.

One reason I feel comfortable banning polymorph is that there are new spells popping up that allow you to change shape. Ex: trollform

 

[Mercule]

In my Eberron/AoW campaign, everything is by the book.

In my homebrew, I've banned the Orb spells. Oh, and darkness is, like, ya know, dark.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

All of them. The PC wizards in my game use slingshots and yell "Lightning bolt!".

 

[Festivus]

Power Word Pain from Races of the Dragon is prohibited in my game. I haven't looked lately, have they Errated that spell?

 

[Dykstrav]

I generally only ban spells when it's obvious that they're way too overpowered. A good example of this is scorching ray. My players loved it until half the party (at an APL of 6) was wiped out by a single 4th-level sorcerer with scorching ray. IMO, 4d6 damage on a ranged touch attack is just too good for a 2nd-level spell. Acid arrow and flaming sphere aren't nearly that good (athough flaming sphere might come close, it deals damage over several turns), which I consider to be the benchmark energy damage spells for 2nd level.

I don't ban polymorph spells, but I do require that PC's wanting to cast it have to have stat blocks on paper that they can hand me for their different forms. This policy generally restricts spellcasters with it to two or three forms, with the added benefit that the player actually learns the ins and outs of their different forms. Works for my games.

I banned teleport and greater teleport after a year or so of deliberation. It's not unbalanced, it's just too plot-busting. Higher-level campaigns usually devolve into figuring out the adventure goal, scrying the revelant sites, and teleporting from one to one in quick succession. Some players have criticized me for this as lazy design. But there's only so many adventures where the players have to spend a session or two figuring out the real goal, involving divination-blocked sites, or magical interference that prohibits teleporting. Travel and exploration is one of my favorite parts of D&D, and teleport just takes it out of the equation.

I've also generally banned raise dead, resurrection, and similar effects. This is mostly a flavor issue. I just got tired of seeing players sock back 5,000 gp in diamonds and from then on charge headlong into certain death. Grisly deaths in pools of acid, at the hands of undead and the like brought accusations that I was "deliberately" killing their characters in a fashion so they couldn't be raised from the dead. I've never seen a character in a fantasy movie or novel say, "Oh, I might be able to survive that sprint across that pool of acid. Just fish my body out if I don't and hit up the temple of Pelor." I don't expect my characters to act this way either. I still allow raise dead and the like, but they can only be cast under very specific circumstances: in sanctified places on holy days (of which there are only 3-4 a year for any given faith). Until then, you'd best hope your cleric don't mind casting gentle repose on you every few days.

I also generally try to avoid save-or-die effects. They're just not fun or satisfying for me or the players.